USA failing to win the war

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  • Created by: Mr Ahmed
  • Created on: 07-04-14 13:52
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  • Factors that contributed to the USA failing to win the war.
    • Kent State University
      • On Saturday May 2nd 1970 during one a protest a university building was burned to the ground. Then the protest on Monday 4th somehow got out of hand.
        • At the time, not all students at Kent State were involved in the demonstration.
          • They then fired live rounds on the students, killing four of them and wounding ten others.
      • The Governor of Ohio had publicly called the protesters communists and likened them to Hitler’s Brown shirts and said that they were: “The worst type of people that we harbour in America.”
    • Viet-Cong Tactics
      • They were supplied with rockets by China using the Ho Chi Minh Trail - a jungle route through Laos and Cambodia. The Americans couldn't attack their supply routes without escalating the war.
      • Their tactic was "hanging onto the belts" of the Americans - staying so close to the Americans so they could not use air or artillery backup without killing their own men
      • The Vietcong used booby traps to injure soldiers . Also, they had an underground tunnel network  which gave them an advantage to be quick.
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      • They had a no prisoner policy.
    • Tet Offensive
      • Americans used great force to win back the towns. During the regaining of control in these towns, they destroyed the ancient city of Hue. They killed many civilians.
      • The sight of communist fighters in the grounds of the American embassy in Saigon made a mockery of the idea that Americans were close to victory.
        •  Many American politicians and people became disillusioned with the war after the clear display of the determination of the communists. 
      • In January 1968, North Vietnam launched a massive attack. They attacked towns all over the country including the capital Saigon. The communists hoped that this would spark a revolution in the south, this didn’t happen. 
    • Anti Vietnam Protest in the US
      • The first protests came in Oct' 1965 when the draft was increased. In February 1965, it had only been 3,000 a month but in October it was increased to 33,000 a month.
      • America was not only sacrificing her male youth but the government was also sanctioning the death of children not only in South Vietnam but also in the North with the blanket bombing raids that were occurring on almost a daily basis. 
        •  One cry of the protesters particularly hurt President Johnson: “Hey! Hey! LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?
      • in 1968 showed that 46% of Americans approved of Johnson’s handling of the war while 50% believed that it was essential to combat the expansion of communism in Southeast Asia.
      • In March 1966, 50,000 anti-war protesters took part in a rally in New York. In 1967, 100,000 took part in a protest rally in Washington DC. Later in DC, in 1971, 300,000 took part in an anti-war  This particular protest involved many veterans from the war.
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